


Late-night Melancholy

by tekhartha



Category: Control (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling, Fluff, Gender-neutral Reader, Hugging, Other, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24793471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tekhartha/pseuds/tekhartha
Summary: Some dabbles involving everyone's favourite sleep-deprived scientist.Edit: Changed the title from "Stupid Love" to "Late-night Melancholy"!
Relationships: Casper Darling/Reader
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darling is overworking himself once again, so you convince him to take a break.

Quick steps carried you over to his office, the sound of your feet on the concrete floor echoing in the impossibly large room. Even though the light coming from the ceiling was bright and friendly, your watch told you that it was well past midnight. The only reason why you were still at the bureau was a particularly troublesome altered item. You had to deal with the consequences of its rampage in the containment sector almost all day, so your other duties had to wait until now. One of said duties was collecting a report from Dr. Darling for Director Trench. The document in question was too important and contained extremely sensitive information, so not just any secretary was allowed to deliver it. Everyday that duty fell to you, who had been a well respected employee of the bureau for about 7 years now. Your job was mostly focused on management, but now and then you had to play secretary when it was required of you. 

With a tired sigh, you stopped in front of Dr. Darling's door and knocked. There was no reply, but the strip of light coming from underneath the door told you everything you needed to know. Out of courtesy you waited a few more seconds, then you pushed open the door enough to peer through the gap. The light inside was moody and dark, and try as you might, you couldn't spot the Doctor anywhere. Pushing the door open, you stepped into the room. Every surface was cluttered and completely covered in papers and disorganized notes, but you were used to that by now. After all this time of working with scientists you would've been more surprised by a clean workspace. 

Your gaze wandered to the left and eventually you spotted a hunched form in a chair in the corner. The walls around the table the doctor was sitting at were completely covered in printouts and sticky notes. As you started walking towards him, he still didn't seem to notice you, but you heard him mutter under his breath. He was writing furiously on a sheet of paper, now and then scribbling a little sketch. 

Eventually, you came to a halt next to his chair and took in the scene for a few moments. You still kind of hoped that he would take note of your presence at some point, but he seemed to be completely lost in thought. You experimentally cleared your throat, but that didn't deter him from his current task. 

"I'm here to pick up your report, sir." You finally said. Unfortunately not even that made him acknowledge your presence. 

"Dr. Darling." You said again, a little louder this time. You repeated his name once more, but to no avail. With an inaudible sigh, you finally laid a hand on his shoulder and softened your voice. 

"Casper."

He jumped in his seat, attention raptly snapping to you as he looked at you like a deer in headlights. His glasses were slightly askew, his hair messy from running his fingers through it, and his bow-tie hung undone around his neck. 

"W-what?" He mumbled, eyes jumping around your features without focus. The thick dark rings under his eyes made you want to frown at him, but you suppressed that urge in favor of keeping your expression friendly and neutral. 

"It's already past midnight. Don't you want to take a break?" You gently squeezed his shoulder and you felt him relax under your touch. 

"No. No, I-I need to finish this." He was about to turn back to his notes, but you placed the bottle of water you had brought on the table in front of him. 

"Please, do me the favor? Just drink something and lean back for a few minutes."

This, most definitely, also wasn't part of your job, but you had known the man for a while now, and it hadn't taken you long to realize that he would literally kill himself if no one told him to stop working now and then. A gentle nudge was usually enough to get him to take a break, but today he seemed to be especially desperate to keep working. 

He gave you a forlorn look, mouth opening as if to protest, but he must've thought better of it at the sight of your expression. He snapped his mouth shut, then reached for the bottle of water. 

"Thank you." You mumbled. "One should think you realize that your brain will work better when you're well hydrated and rested."

He scoffed as he placed the bottle back down and pointed at the papers in front of him. 

"This- this is more important than my personal needs. I have to figure this out, for the sake of everybody working here. If I don't... well, I'm not sure what will happen." He sighed, before reaching up and taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. 

"I know what you do is important, but  _ you're _ just as important. After all, if you work yourself to death, who'll solve all of the bureau's problems?" You told him with a hint of a smile on your lips. The look he gave you was a strange mixture of surprise and confusion, so you patted his shoulder amicably. 

"I don't think in the twenty years I've been working here, a single soul has ever told me that  _ I'm _ important. The only thing everyone ever cares about is my work, which is, well, it’s fair, I suppose, but still..." He didn't exactly sound sad, just kind of tired. You were about to jokingly reply that you were just doing your job, but suddenly his expression turned to one of defeat. He let loose another sigh. On instinct, you took a step closer and reached up to run a hand through his hair. He immediately  _ melted _ into you, his head coming to rest against your stomach as you wrapped your arms around him. 

For a few minutes you just held him, squeezing gently to alleviate his exhaustion and pain. It was obvious he needed this. Even though the two of you weren't that close, you knew that he didn't have anyone in his life who would be able to provide him with comfort. Work was his life, at this point he practically lived at the bureau. You wondered when the last time had been he had gone out to enjoy himself. Probably years ago, when the amount of altered items and objects of power hadn't been through the roof. 

In any case, if you were able to provide him with a moment of solace and warmth, you would gladly do so. 

Eventually, you pulled back reluctantly before glancing down at him. He gave you a weak smile.

"I'm glad you're taking the duties of your job so seriously." He mumbled and you couldn't help but laugh. 

"Of course, anything to get those reports." 

"Ah, yes, the report! Of course." His expression softened, and you took a step back so he could get up. He brushed past you with little concern for personal space and made his way over to the table in the middle of the room to pick up a Manila folder. He returned to your side to hand it over, stuffing his hands into his pockets awkwardly after you had taken it from him. 

"Thank you." You said softly. "Promise me you'll drink the rest of that water and take breaks now and then?"

He looked like he was about to protest, but his expression shifted when he noticed your brow furrowing in concern. 

"Alright, I promise. Thank you for looking after me, I know I can be a little… stubborn." He smiled wryly and you chuckled. 

"That's one word for it. Have a goodnight, sir." You told him gently and he nodded. 

"Goodnight." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh... I have more Darling x Reader fics... does anyone want more?? Let me know lol


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's one with Reader as a janitor, bc why not?!   
> (let's just ignore that Ahti seems to be the only "janitor" at the bureau haha)

Another night, another graveyard shift. You liked this job, you really did, but sometimes the night shifts wore you down more than usually. Tonight seemed to be one of those nights. 

It was barely past twelve and you still weren't done with even half of your workload. Normally you were thankful for the peace and quiet, but right now it was making it so much harder for you to stay awake and motivated. It was hard to believe that working at The Oldest House could even get boring at all, but unfortunately it did. At this point you had seen so many building shifts, strange objects, and unfortunate accidents at work, it had become downright unexciting. 

At least you had a higher clearance level than most other cleaning personnel, since the area you were responsible for required it. It wasn't necessarily more dangerous here, but it was more likely to be deserted at night. There were scientists working on their little projects at all points in time, but this section was so secure, not many people worked here in the first place. There really was only one person you regularly encountered back here: Dr. Darling. 

Tonight was no exception. 

At precisely 12:06am, you pushed open the door to a small room that Darling used as a makeshift office. It had been a normal storage room before, but slowly over time Darling's notes and scattered papers had taken over the area. Now there was even a small cot in the corner, so he could pass out right here, which was something he seemed to have done tonight. 

You left your small wagon with cleaning utensils in the hallway as you stepped through the door into the messy room. Looking around curiously, you quickly spotted Darling fast asleep on his cot. He looked almost serene and for a moment you felt the urge to turn around and leave. You were here for a reason though (other than cleaning that was). 

Darling and you were friends. He liked to bounce ideas off of you, even though you had no clue what he was on about most of the time, and you liked listening to his voice. Now and then you would complain about life, and work, and having to clean up the aftermath of some experiment gone wrong or another. Talking to him was fun and easy, and he always had some witty response up his sleeve to make you laugh. It was nice, the highlight of your nights even, and it hadn't come as a surprise when you started crushing on Darling after a few weeks. 

The point was, that after talking to and hanging out with Darling night after night for months, you had fallen into a rhythm. You would bring him bottles of water, since he never looked after himself properly, and he in turn would walk around with you and move some things out of the way while you cleaned. 

With a little sigh, you stepped closer and placed the bottle on the ground next to the cot. You were about to turn around and leave, when Darling's hand reached out to grab your wrist gently. 

"Thanks." He said, voice heavy with exhaustion. 

"Sure thing."

You turned all the way back to him to watch him sit up and rub his eyes. He looked adorable. 

"It midnight already?"

"Yeah, just past twelve." You reached out to pluck a tiny piece of paper out of his hair. "Have you been tearing up important bureau documents?" 

He scoffed, shaking his head. 

"Only my own worthless notes." He looked up at you with a sad smile and you couldn't stop yourself, you reached out to place your palms on his cheeks, framing his face. 

"I'm sure they were everything but worthless." You mumbled, running your thumbs across his reddening skin. 

"How about 'nonsensical'?" He mumbled and you shook your head. 

"No, surely they weren't." 

Reaching up to cover your hands with his, he sighed. 

"If you say so." He finally relented and you smiled vaguely. 

"There we go, no more self-deprecating words." You slowly let your hands drop from his face while you spoke, and he gave you a look that was full of curiosity. Even without his glasses and the messy hair he still looked like a scientist evaluating a new specimen. After a moment he furrowed his brow. 

"You look almost as tired as I probably do." 

"Ha! No one looks as tired as you. But it's true, I  _ am _ pretty exhausted tonight." You sighed. The thought alone of all the work you still had ahead of you, made you want to just give up and lie on the floor until morning. Alas, that wasn't exactly a solution to your problem. 

"Take a break then, have a seat." He patted the cot next to him with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"I doubt I'll be able to resist the temptation of sleep once I sit, Casper." 

He tsk-ed and simply took your wrist to tug you down into a sitting position. You complied with another sigh, even though you were secretly glad to be able to take a little break. Once you had leaned against the wall, shoulder to shoulder with Darling, you looked over at him. 

"I could do the rest of your shift for you." He said, making you laugh. 

"No, no, not happening. As cute as it sounds, I'd rather not get fired because lab #3 didn't get cleaned properly by you." 

"Hey, I'm very much capable of cleaning! And what do you mean, 'cute'?" He feigned offence at your words, but you could tell he was pleased at being complimented. 

"I don't doubt that, but this place needs a professional. And you know exactly what I mean, you'd be an adorable mess."

He made a face, making you chuckle. When you turned your full attention back to him, you suddenly realized how close he was. Before your brain had time to catch up with your mouth, you had parted your lips to speak. 

"Can I kiss you?" 

Your brain was lagging so much, even as you watched him do a double take and turn a very intense shade of red, you didn't really process what you had said. When it finally hit you, Darling was already about to reply, leaving you no time to stumble backwards and apologize profusely. 

"Yeah. Please do." 

_ Oh, well. _

Without much ado, you leaned in, pressing your lips against his while you desperately tried to ignore your furiously beating heart. Darling let out a pleased hum, that almost sounded like a moan and a second later his hands were on your waist, pulling you closer. You let him take the lead, gently wrapping your arms around his neck to let him know to keep going. 

He was a good kisser, a little clumsy maybe, but gentle and careful. It felt so nice, you didn't ever want to stop, but after a few minutes you had to pull back to catch your breath. Darling's hand curled against the small of your back as he rested his forehead on your shoulder, making you smile. 

"That was nice." You mumbled and he hummed in reply. A few moments later he sat back up, giving you a slightly worried look.

"I really like you." He said and you smiled. 

"I really like you too. Although it sounds like there's a 'but'." You watched him grimace, shake his head, then sigh. 

"No, well, yes maybe. It's just that I… I'm a bit of a mess and you're not. I'm afraid I might be a bad influence on you and I'm scared I won't be able to give you the attention and, uh, love you deserve." He averted his gaze with a frown. "All of my past relationships crashed and burned because I work so much and you deserve better than that."

_ Better than me _ , went left unsaid, but you knew that was what he meant. 

"Casper…" You started, squeezing his shoulder lightly to make him look at you. "We've been spending time together almost every single night for the past four months. The reason why we met  _ at all _ is because of your unhealthy work ethic. The first thing I learned about you is that you're a workaholic, and that was before we even met. In all honesty, even if we only get to spend a few hours every night together, right here at the bureau, for the rest of our lives, then that's just fine by me."

He gave you a look of surprise, confusion, and eventually something you could only describe as awe. 

"Dear God, you must really like me a lot." He said with a smile and you chuckled. 

"You bet." Reaching up, you tangled your fingers in the hair at the back of his head, tugging him closer. "Now please kiss me some more!?" 

"Your wish is my command, your majesty." He mumbled and a moment later his soft lips were back on yours.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this a while ago and then promptly forgot about it?! anyway, it's short, but I quite like this one!

You were lying on the couch in his office, fast asleep. Casper had to pause by the door for a second when he noticed you, letting out a small sigh of exasperation. It wasn't like he disliked having you here - quite the opposite - but he still wished you hadn't picked up some of his unhealthy sleeping habits. He might not have cared much about his own well-being, work was simply more important to him, but when it came to you, he couldn't help but worry. 

As he stepped closer, he noticed a Manila folder on the floor. It must've slipped off your lap after you had fallen asleep. He stooped down to pick it up and placed it on the coffee table in front of the couch. As he went to retrieve a blanket, he caught sight of the clock on the wall. It was 2am already. If it wasn't for  _ his _ work, you wouldn't be here right now. You'd be at home getting a proper night's rest… this was his fault. 

With a sigh, he sunk down to sit on the coffee table in front of you, reaching out to drape the blanket across your sleeping form. Should he wake you and tell you to go home? Or should he let you sleep? He didn't really know. 

After a few moments of sitting and contemplating, he found himself taking a strand of your hair between his fingers, brushing it back behind your ear. You stirred and a second later you blinked blearily up at him. 

"Casper?" 

His heart swelled with how soft and vulnerable your voice sounded, and he tried not to think too hard on the feeling. Still, he felt his cheeks warm, so he reached up to take off his glasses and pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks. Thankfully you still seemed to be too sleepy to notice his expression. 

"What time is it?" You mumbled and he lowered his hand to look down at you. 

"2:16am." He told you, and the exhaustion in his voice was impossible to hide. 

You slowly sat up, rubbing your eyes. 

"Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." You mumbled, eyes roaming across his tired features. "Are you okay?" 

He gave you a gloomy look, unsure how to reply. Yeah, he was relatively okay, apart from his ever-present exhaustion and the emotional rawness stemming from the sudden realization that he was in love with you. Alas, it was probably not appropriate to tell you that, so he just nodded. 

"I don't believe you, but I won't bother you about it." You told him with a teasing smile that made him chuckle. 

"I appreciate it."

You sat in silence for a few moments, exhaustion hanging over you like a wet blanket. He saw your eyes wander and jump around the room, occasionally to him, and then quickly away again. Eventually, they landed on the Manila folder on the table next to him. 

"Oh, I didn't finish logging the data." You said, reaching out to pick up the folder.

His hand shot out to take hold of your wrist, squeezing gently when you looked up at him in surprise. 

"You've worked more than enough for tonight, and this isn't urgent anyway. You should head home and get some rest." He told you.

"Alright, if you're sure." You mumbled and he nodded in confirmation. "You should get some sleep too, Casper."

He snorted humourlessly with a shake of his head. 

"I know… I know."

He averted his eyes to focus on the spot where his hands rested in his lap. They looked rough and coarse from disinfectant and wearing gloves. Suddenly another hand entered his field of view as you covered his hands with yours. Your skin felt so much softer and warmer than his, it was such a shock he almost pulled back, but caught himself last second. Instead his head whipped up to look at you wide-eyed. 

"You could crash on the couch… I can stay if you'd like?" You asked gently and his head started spinning. 

"I-I… stay? But you need sleep as well…" He tried to keep his voice steady, but he was sure you hadn't missed the slight waver. You let out a fast breath that sounded like a silent amused laugh. 

"The couch is big enough for two, dummy."

You scooted forward on the couch, closer to him as you casually rested your other hand on his knee for leverage. Casper's eyes jumped from where you were touching him, up to your face. A gentle smile grazed your lips and suddenly all he wanted to do was take your face in his hands and  _ kiss _ you. But he didn't, he was too shocked by the sudden closeness, by your boldness of asking him to share a couch with you. For just a few moments his brain refused to understand what was happening, but then, finally, he nodded. 

"Okay." 

Your smile grew even wider and after a few seconds you had laid back down, pressed all the way against the backrest of the couch. It only took him a moment to pull off his lab coat and bow tie, before he took off his glasses as well and placed them on the table in front of the sofa. Eventually he toed off his shoes and lifted the corner of the blanket to lie down next to you. 

"Requesting permission to wrap my arms around you." You mumbled and he laughed, face hot and flushed. 

"Granted." 

He turned to face you and your arms found their way around his middle, pulling him closer until you were almost lying on top of him. He couldn't say he minded at all. It had been a long time since he had last been held like this and he suddenly realized that he had really missed it. A quiet sigh fell from his lips as he wrapped his own arms around you. 

"This is nice." He murmured. 

"It is." You hesitated for a moment before you continued speaking. "I wouldn't mind doing this more often…"

It felt like the air had been punched out of his lungs and for a few seconds he struggled to suck in a relieving breath, which allowed him to reply. 

"I would like that." 


End file.
